Journal box lid with sealing and venting means



Aug. 11, 1964 L. KLAslNG, JR., ETAL 3,144,281

JOURNAL Box LID WITH sEALING AND VENTING MEANS Filed Aug. 15, 1962 3 Sheets-$heet l @I az @wam/ awies. ha@

Aug. 11, 1964 c. L. KLAslNG, JR., ETAL 3,144,281

JOURNAL Box LID WITH sEALING AND VENTING MEANS Filed Aug. 15, 1962 5 ShetS-Sheet 2 Aug. 11, 1964 c, KLAslNG, JR.. ETAL 3,144,281

JURNAL BOX LID WITH SEALING AND VENTING MEANS 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 United States Patent O 3,144,281 JGURNAL ESGX LID WITH SEALING AND VENTING MEANS Charles L. Klasing, r., New Lenox, lll., and William H. Sale, Hampton, Va, assignors to Klasing Hand Brake Co., delict, lll., a corporation of Illinois Filed Aug. 15, 1962, Ser. No. 217,039 2 Claims. (Cl. 308--5tl) The present invention relates generally to journal boxes for the axles of railway car trucks and has particular reference to a hinged journal box lid having associated therewith novel means for sealing the lid against the rim of the access opening of the box as well as novel means for venting the interior of the box to the ambient atmosphere.

A conventional or standard hinged journal box is usually in the form of a rectangular metal closure plate proper which is carried on a hinge arm that is pivoted to a hinge pin adjacent to the top portion of the rectangular access opening in order that the lid as a whole is capable of being swung back and forth between an open position and a closed position wherein the plate proper bears directly against the rim of the opening, spring means being provided yieldingly to hold the lid in its open as well as its closed position. The closure plate proper and the supporting hinge arm by means of which the plate proper is connected to the hinge pin are both invariably in the form of metal castings, and as a consequence, the lid assembly of the closure plate proper and hinge arm is fairly massive and heavy with the result that at times, when the journal box is traveling over the roadbed, the lid is subject to rattling due to the direct metal-to-metal Contact between the inner face of the closure plate proper and the rim of the access opening. Furthermore, when the journal box is stationary, there is a tendency for the inspector or other traimnan to slam the lid shut against the journal box opening, thus annoying the passengers. This situation is particularly prevalent in connection with a journal box which is associated with a car truck of a Pullman car in night service. Additionally, since the closure plate proper is invariably hinged on an offset pin so as to be capable of swinging movement bodily toward and away from the journal box opening, the presence of dirt or a foreign object on the rim of the opening, particularly on the upper portion of the rim which is adjacent to the hinge pin, will prevent seating'of the closure plate proper on the rim of the access opening. Under such conditions, not only is the journal box subject to the ingress of dirt, dust and other foreign material, but the box as a whole is subject to annoying rattling, as outlined above.

Another limitation that is attendant upon the construction and use of a conventional hinged journal box lid resides in the lack of an etlicient means for adequately venting the interior or" the journal box to the atmosphere so that gases, vapors and the like originating within the journal box may escape from the box. Ordinarily, where the journal box lid is designed for sealing engagement with the rim of the journal box opening and consideration is given to Venting of the box, such venting is usually accomplished simply by the provision of one or more venting openings which are drilled through the closure plate proper at an appropriate point or points thereon. lf these openings are relatively small, the danger of clogging arises, whereas if the openings are of appreciable size, the journal box is subject to infiltration of dirt, dust and other foreign matter through the venting openings.

The present invention is designed to overcome the above-noted limitations that are attendant upon the construction and use of a conventional or standard journal box lid, and toward this end, it contemplates the provision of a novel and improved form of sealing means whereby 3,l44,28l Patented Aug. 1l, 1964 ICC the lid, when swung into its closed position, will at all times securely and yieldingly engage the entire rim of the journal box opening in such a manner that rattling of the lid is eiectively prevented, while at the same time, no dirt or other foreign matter may enter the journal box around the marginal portions of the lid. The invention further contemplates the provision of a novel and simple venting means which involves in the journal box lid a venting opening of appreciable size to the end that adequate venting facilities are afforded, and in addition, involves an arrangement or means whereby the opening is effectively shielded so that dirt or other foreign material of extremely small size is prevented from reaching the venting opening for subsequent entrance into the journal box.

The provision of a journal box lid of the character briey outlined above being among the principal objects of the invention, it is a further object of the invention to provide a lid wherein the sealing means is capable of being easily replaced after it has become worn or lost its eifectiveness. ln carrying out this last-mentioned object of the invention, there is contemplated the provision of a novel form of sealing gasket which has cooperating retaining means between it and the closure plate proper whereby .the gasket is maintained in its proper sealing position with respect to the rim of the journal box opening when the lid as a whole is in its closed position, such cooperating retaining means between the gasket and the closure plate proper being such that replacement of the gasket may be manually eifected by the simple expedient of pulling the old or worn-out gasket away from the closure plate proper and applying a new gasket to the closure plate proper by a reversal of the procedure, namely, by manually pushing the new gasket into its operative or connected position with respect to the closure plate proper.

Another object of the invention is to provide a journal box lid of the type under consideration and wherein the sealing gasket, which cooperates with the peripheral or marginal region of the closure plate proper, and the rim of the access opening of the journal box to effect sealing of the closure plate proper against the rim, also cooperates with the shielded venting means so that whatever venting takes place is confined ventirely to the venting means.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel sealing means which is designed specifically for use in connection with av hinged journal box lid and includes a sealing gasket and retaining means therefor and wherein the gasket is capable of being applied tot and removed from the journal box lid while the latter is operatively connected to the journal box thereby eliminating the necessity of removing the lid from its installed or hinged position on the box.

Other objects and advantages of the invention, not at this time enumerated, will become apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description.

In the accompanying three sheets of drawings forming a partof this specication or disclosure, one illustrative or preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown.

ln these drawings:

FIG. l is a sectional View taken vertically, centrally and longitudinally through a railway car journal box having associated therewith a hinged lid with the improved sealing and Venting means of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded isometric view of the closure plate proper, the sealing gasket, and the hinge assembly before being assembled upon one another;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the journal box closure plate proper showing the improved sealing means applied thereto;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 3, but showa ing the journal box closure plate proper with the sealing gasket removed therefrom;

FIG. is a plan view of the sealing gasket; and

FIG. 6 is an enlarged sectional View taken on the line 6-6 of FIG. 1 and in the direction indicated by arrows.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, and in particular to FIG. l, the improved journal box lid of the present invention has been designated in its entirety by the reference number 10. It is shown as being operatively installed upon a journal box 12 in associated relation with the wheel axle journal 14 of a railway car truck. A bearing member or brass 16 overlies the axle journal 14 and a wedge member 18 is interposed between the bearing member 16 and the top wall of the journal box 12. The bearing member 16 and the wedge member 18 are of conventional design. The journal box is of standard construction and is illustrated herein as being cast integrally with an end portion 20 of the side frame of the associated car truck. The outer end of the journal box 12 is provided with a rectangular access opening 21 which is bounded or defined by an inclined rectangular rim 22 against which a portion of the lid is adapted to seat when the lid is in its closed position on the journal box.

The lid 10 comprises two principal parts, namely, a closure or cover plate proper 24 and a hinge arm 26. It also comprises a clamping plate 28, clamping rivets for the clamping plate, a spring 32 for yieldingly urging or holding the lid in its open and closed positions, and a hinge pin 34 by means of which the lid as a whole is pivotally connected to the journal box 12. The clamping plate 28 and the rivets 30 (see FIG. 1) serve to secure together the closure plate proper 24 and the hinge arm 26.

The closure plate proper 24 is generally of rectangular configuration in order to conform to the configuration of the rim 22, and as best illustrated in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, it includes a substantially flat closure wall 40. The latter is bounded by an integral inwardly extending marginal rim ange 42, the upper portion of which is provided with a relief area 44 (see FIG. 4) for clearance purposes, as will be made clear presently. The closure wall is formed with an inwardly extending rectangular strengthening rib 46 which is spaced inwardly from the marginal flange 42, the rib 46 being continuous except for the provision of a relief area 47 in register or opposed relation with the relief area 44. A manipulating ear 48 is formed on the lower portion of the ange 42 in order that the lid as a whole may be grasped in connection with swinging thereof into and out of either of its two positions.

The hinge arm 26 tits against the outer surface of the closure plate proper 24 and is in the form of an irregularly shaped casting of generally cup-shaped configuration. It may be described generally as having a proximate end region which provides a relatively deep spring-enclosing pocket 50, and a distal end region which is bifurcated to provide a pair of parallel arms 52, the latter being connected together by an anchoring web 54. The arms 52 are generally channel-shaped in transverse cross section. The spring-enclosing pocket is defined by side walls 56 which have tubular enlargements 58. Such enlargements are strengthened by webs and embody axially aligned bores 62 for receiving therethrough the end portions of the hinge pin 34.

The spring 32 is wound to provide a helix 66 which is interrupted in its medial region by a laterally offset loop 68. The latter carries at its outer portion a roller 70. The ends of the helix terminate in elongated fingers 72 (see FIG. 2). The hinge arm 26 is assembled upon the closure plate proper 24 and is retained thereon by means of the clamping plate 28 which is secured by the rivets 30 to the flat closure wall 40. With the hinge arm 26 in position on the closure plate proper 24, the spring fingers 72 bear against the outer surface of the closure wall 40 while the loop 68 is biased in the pocket 50 with a considerable degree of force, as will be described presently. An upstanding lug 80 on the top wall of the journal box 12 i wards.

serves to carry the central portion of the hinge pin 34. When the lid including the hinge arm 26 is operatively positioned on the journal box, the roller 70 has selective cooperation with a pair of angular faces 82 and 84 on the lug for maintaining the closure plate proper 24 in either its fully open or its fully closed position on the journal box.

As best shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the rectangular strengthening rib 46 and the marginal iiange 42 define a continuous marginal trough 88. The latter is defined by a flat bottom wall which constitutes a part of the closure wall 40 and provides a seat for a resilient sealing gasket 92 of open rectangular design (see FIG. 5). The sealing gasket 92 is preferably formed of a resilient elastomeric material, such, for example, as rubber, either natural or synthetic, or a rubber substitute, and is shaped conformably to the rectangular flat bottom wall 90 on the inner surface of the closure plate proper 24. Preferably, the gasket 92 is cut or stamped from a single sheet of the aforementioned elastomeric material and is provided with a large central opening 94 which is of rectangular configuration except for the provision of an inwardly extending rectangular flap 96. The latter is formed medially of the top portion of the gasket and serves a purpose that will be made clear presently.

The gasket top portion which embodies the flap 96 has v been designated by the reference numeral 100 and may be regarded as the proximate side of the gasket since it is close to the hinge pin 34. The opposite and parallel bottoni portion 102 of the gasket constitutes the distal side of the gasket. The parallel side portions 104 and 106 of the gasket extend along the side edge regions of the cover plate 24. The top and bottom portions 100 Y and 102 of the gasket 92 are each formed with a pair of outwardly extending tongues 108 near the ends thereof. The gasket side portions 104 and 106 are each formed with a single outwardly extending tongue 110 medially or centrally thereof. The tongues 108 extend through slots 112 in the upper and lower portions of the rim ange 42, while the tongues 110 extend through slots 114 in the side portions of this ange. The various tongues and slots cooperate to maintain the sealing gasket 92 in position within the rectangular trough 88. In the event that there is any tendency for the gasket 92 to adhere to the rim of the journal box opening, the tongues and slots serve to pull the gasket 92 as a whole bodily away from the rim when the lid is swung upwards into its open position. With the journal box lid 10 in its closed position, the rectangular rim 22 of the journal box opening bears coextensively against the gasket 92 so that the opening is completely sealed except for the venting action of the venting means which forms a part of the present invention and will now be described in detail.

The venting means of the present invention is so designed that gases or vapors within the journal box may escape to the ambient atmosphere while at the same time the entrance of dirt or other foreign material into the box will be excluded. Accordingly, and as best illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 4, the closure plate proper 24 is formed with a tianged hole in the iiat closure wall 40 thereof, this hole being disposed within the interruption or relief area 47 of the otherwise continuous rectangular strengthening rib 46 and the tiange around the hole extending in- A vent tube 122 which is welded or otherwise xedly connected to the central portion of the hinge arm 26 passes through the hole 120 and projects into the journal box interior an appreciable distance when the lid 10 is in its closed position with respect to the journal box. The

spring-enclosing pocket 50 at the proximate region of the tom Wall of the pocket 50, as indicated at 126 in FIG. l.

The vent tube 122 is formed with diametrically disposed radially directed flanged openings 128 at a region well Within the pocket 50 and these ilanged openings, together with the straight axial stem portion 130 of the vent tube 122, give a T-shaped appearance to the Vent tube as a whole.

It is to be noted that the flat narrow end wall 124 lies in a different plane from the plane of the anchoring web 54 which extends between the two parallel arms 52 and, consequently, a clearance opening 132 is established for pocket-venting purposes when the lid is in its closed position. The axis of the diametrically opposite flanged openings 128 extends parallel to the plane of the wall 124 so that neither of the two flanged openings directly opposes the clearance opening.

As best shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 5, the flat inwardly extending flap 96 on the top portion of the resilient sealing gasket 92 is formed with a central hole 134 therethrough. The stem portion 130 of the vent tube 122 projects through this hole when the gasket is installed on the closure plate proper 24. The gasket 92 has a tight t around the stem portion 130 and the rim region of the hole 134 covers any space which may exist by reason of passage of the tube through the hole and thus seals the hole 134 against entrance of dirt into the interior of the journal box.

From the above description, it will be apparent that gasket replacement operations present little diiculty, it being only necessary to raise or swing upwardly the lid 10 to its open position and then lift the inwardly extending ilap 96 over and away from the extreme inner end of the vent tube stem 130, while at the same time pulling the two tongues 108 on the top portion 100 of the gasket 92 from their respective slots 112 in the marginal flange 42. The remainder of the gasket 92 may then be peeled, so to speak, from the closure plate proper 24 by pulling the tongues 110 from the slots 114, and nally pulling the tongues 108 on the bottom portion 102 of the gasket from their respective slots 112. The replacement gasket may be installed on the cover plate 24 by a reversal of the procedure outlined above.

The previously described venting arrangement will permit any vapors or gases which may accumulate within the journal box to escape to the ambient atmosphere by following a tortuous path extending axially outwardly through the stem portion 130 of the vent tube 122, radially outwardly through the flanged openings 128, and from thence outwardly through Ithe clearance opening 132 between the hinge arm 26 and the outside face of the at wall 40 of the closure plate proper 24. It is to be noted at this point tha-t when the lid 10 is in its closed position upon the rim 22 of the journal box access opening, the clearance opening 132 faces generally in a downward direction with the result that this opening is shielded from above. Thus, during inclement weather when snow, rain or moisture of condensation falls or collects upon the journal box lid, the same will be constrained to run downwardly over the outer surface of the lid, by-passing the clearance opening 132 and leaving such surface of the lid under the iniluence of gravity without entering the journal box interior. For example, while the various tabs 108 and 110 have been shown and described herein as lying within the plane of the gasket 92, it is contemplated that these tabs may extend at right angles to the plane of the gasket, or at least at such an angle that, when projected through the various slots 112 and 114, they will closely hug the marginal ange 42 of the closure plate 24 and overhang the rim ilange 42 thereof.

The invention is not to be limited to the exact arrangement of parts shown in the accompanying drawings or described in this specification as various changes in the details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Therefore, only insofar as the invention has particularly been pointed out in the accompanying claims is the same to be limited.

Having thus described the inven-tion, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination with a railway car journal box having an access opening surrounded by an outwardly facing rim, of a shallow dished closure plate hinged to said journal box and having a marginal rim flange and a continuous inwardly opening marginal recess conforming in outline to the outline of said rim and disposed immediately inside the rim flange so that the flange constitutes the outer boundary of the recess, said closure plate being movable bodily between an open position wherein it is remote from and out of register with said access opening and a closed position wherein it extends across said access opening with said marginal rim flange encompassing the rim of the access opening and `the recess in register with said rim, a continuous at marginal sealing gasket in the form of a loop, formed or resilient material, removably disposed in and coextensive with the marginal recess and lying, for the most part, within the connes of the latter, said rim flange being formed with a series of slots therethrough lying substantially in the plane of the bottom wall of the recess, and a series of tongues, one for each slot, formed on the outer edge of said gasket and extending through said slots and serving, in combination with said slots, to retain the gasket in position within the recess and hold it against transverse shifting, a hinge arm for said closure plate of generally channel shape cross section and presenting generally parallel side walls which abut edgewise against the closure plate, and an interconnecting bottom wall provided with a hinge-enclosing pocket therein, means securing the hinge arm in position on the closure plate, said side walls having aligned openings therein, a hinge pin extending between said side walls and having its ends secured in said aligned openings and serving to pivotally connect the hinge arm to the journal box, a spring interposed between the hinge arm and the closure plate and having a helix portion nested within the hinge-enclosing pocket, said closure plate being provided with a hole therethrough within the confines of said loop, a vent tube projecting through said hole and secured at one end to the bottom wall of the hinge arm, said vent tube being formed with a pair of diametrically disposed openings in the wall thereof in communication with the space existing within the channel-shaped hinge arm, said gasket being formed with an inwardly extending flap having formed therein a hole through which said vent tube sealingly projects.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1 and wherein the axis of the two openings extends perpendicular to the side Walls of the channel-shaped arm.

Sale Sept. 29, 1959 Sale Nov. 29, 1960 

1. THE COMBINATION WITH A RAILWAY CAR JOURNAL BOX HAVING AN ACCESS OPENING SURROUNDED BY AN OUTWARDLY FACING RIM, OF A SHALLOW DISHED CLOSURE PLATE HINGED TO SAID JOURNAL BOX AND HAVING A MARGINAL RIM FLANGE AND A CONTINUOUS INWARDLY OPENING MARGINAL RECESS CONFORMING IN OUTLINE TO THE OUTLINE OF SAID RIM AND DISPOSED IMMEDIATELY INSIDE THE RIM FLANGE SO THAT THE FLANGE CONSTITUTES THE OUTER BOUNDARY OF THE RECESS, SAID CLOSURE PLATE BEING MOVABLE BODILY BETWEEN AN OPEN POSITION WHEREIN IT IS REMOTE FROM AND OUT OF REGISTER WITH SAID ACCESS OPENING AND A CLOSED POSITION WHEREIN IT EXTENDS ACROSS SAID ACCESS OPENING WITH SAID MARGINAL RIM FLANGE ENCOMPASSING THE RIM OF THE ACCESS OPENING AND THE RECESS IN REGISTER WITH SAID RIM, A CONTINUOUS FLAT MARGINAL SEALING GASKET IN THE FORM OF A LOOP, FORMED OR RESILIENT MATERIAL, REMOVABLY DISPOSED IN AND COEXTENSIVE WITH THE MARGINAL RECESS AND LYING, FOR THE MOST PART, WITHIN THE CONFINES OF THE LATTER, SAID RIM FLANGE BEING FORMED WITH A SERIES OF SLOTS THERETHROUGH LYING SUBSTANTIALLY IN THE PLANE OF THE BOTTOM WALL OF THE RECESS, AND A SERIES OF TONGUES, ONE FOR EACH SLOT, FORMED ON THE OUTER EDGE OF SAID GASKET AND EXTENDING THROUGH SAID SLOTS AND SERVING, IN COMBINATION WITH SAID SLOTS, TO RETAIN THE GASKET IN POSITION WITHIN THE RECESS AND HOLD IT AGAINST TRANSVERSE SHIFTING, A HINGE ARM FOR SAID CLOSURE PLATE OF GENERALLY CHANNEL SHAPE CROSS SECTION AND PRESENTING GENERALLY PARALLEL SIDE WALLS WHICH ABOUT EDGEWISE AGAINST THE CLOSURE PLATE, AND AN INTERCONNECTING BOTTOM WALL PROVIDED WITH A HINGE-ENCLOSING POCKET THEREIN, MEANS SECURING THE HINGE ARM IN POSITION ON THE CLOSURE PLATE, SAID SIDE WALLS HAVING ALIGNED OPENINGS THEREIN, A HINGE PIN EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID SIDE WALLS AND HAVING ITS ENDS SECURED IN SAID ALIGNED OPENINGS AND SERVING TO PIVOTALLY CONNECT THE HINGE ARM TO THE JOURNAL BOX, A SPRING INTERPOSED BETWEEN THE HINGE ARM AND THE CLOSURE PLATE AND HAVING A HELIX PORTION NESTED WITHIN THE HINGE-ENCLOSING POCKET, SAID CLOSURE PLATE BEING PROVIDED WITH A HOLE THERETHROUGH WITHIN THE CONFINES OF SAID LOOP, A VENT TUBE PROJECTING THROUGH SAID HOLE AND SECURED AT ONE END TO THE BOTTOM WALL OF THE HINGE ARM, SAID VENT TUBE BEING FORMED WITH A PAIR OF DIAMETRICALLY DISPOSED OPENINGS IN THE WALL THEREOF IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE SPACE EXISTING WITHIN THE CHANNEL-SHAPED HINGE ARM, SAID GASKET BEING FORMED WITH AN INWARDLY EXTENDING FLAP HAVING FORMED THEREIN A HOLE THROUGH WHICH SAID VENT TUBE SEALINGLY PROJECTS. 